Ever After
by Aleia15
Summary: There is no "happily ever after" after a war of that magnitude. There is just enduring the consequences. Dark. Dub-con. Character Deaths not Kakashi or Iruka Heed the warning.


**Ever After**

"Anyone wants another helping?" Iruka called from the kitchen, looking at the small amount of rice remaining in the pot.

"No, we're fine!" Hanabi's voice reached him from the living room and he filled a small bowl with the rest of the food and took it with him.

There were five kids in the living room and Hanabi, who couldn't be called a child anymore by anyone's standards, all of them sitting around a table and digging into their food with gusto. Iruka leaned against the wall, a soft smile playing on his lips while he ate his portion. The kids were always well behaved at dinnertime, though they were a handful during the day.

He checked the time, cursing inwardly when he saw exactly how late it was. He wolfed down his dinner and dumped the bowl in the sink, hurrying to the door.

"I'm going to be late for my rounds!" he said, gesturing for Hanabi to join him by the door. "Make sure they brush their teeth after dinner and go over the chakra pathways with them. Hayame needs help with kanji and Yue with maths, please look after them for tonight."

He crossed the door in a hurry, putting on the mask his employer insisted all his guards needed to wear and flak vest. Hanabi followed him outside.

"I could do the rounds for you. You need to rest, Iruka."

He froze, the words he had feared for the past year finally out in the open. "No. The rounds in Gabu-sama's house are my responsibility," he said glad that his voice sounded normal. "Just look after the little ones and make sure they learn their lessons."

Iruka had no problem letting Hanabi help with some of his duties, but not the night rounds. Never the night rounds. And it was obvious to both of them the reason for this.

Hanabi approached him; putting a hand on his shoulder and making him turn to look at her. She had grown up a lot since the war and would soon become a stunning woman, the white eyes of the Hyuuga shinning like crystals in her perfect face. It was easy to forget she was barely fourteen years old.

"I don't like it when you go to Gabu-sama's house at night, I'm not a child anymore Iruka, I'm a kunoichi. Don't treat me as if I was stupid."

Iruka shook his head. "We're not supposed to be shinobi anymore, Hanabi," he said sadly, grasping her hand between his and squeezing them gently. "Not the way we used to be."

"Why do you insist on teaching them chakra and fighting then?" she asked, looking into his eyes with a sadness no one that age ought to have experienced.

"I guess I'm too much of a teacher to change now," he said, releasing her hands and turning to leave. "I don't want to be late, go back inside and take care of the kids. I'll be back late."

"I'll wait up," Hanabi called after him and Iruka couldn't help the smile that curled his lips for a second. She was as stubborn as she had been when she was the heir of the Hyuuga. "This conversation is not over."

That was what Iruka feared, but it was a conversation he didn't want to have.

Konoha and the entire Fire Country had changed beyond recognition in the past few years. Actually, all the Five Shinobi Nations had. It had been the obliteration of Suna and Kirigakure what triggered the outlawing of shinobi. They were, the Daimyos had said, warring people who only knew to sow death and destruction wherever they went. They thrived in war and so they created dissent and discord. The Daimyos of the Five Countries seemed to have forgotten that shinobi served civilians and protected them. They were soldiers, not rabid dogs.

But with hundreds of thousands of deaths and two of the Kages gone, there had been little they could do. The civilians wanted blood to be shed to compensate for blood spilled, and nothing Tsunade or any of the other Kages remaining said served to pacify them. In the end, there was no other option but to comply.

It would have been easy to silence their opposition with one perfectly aimed kunai or an exploding tag, but that would have only vindicated those who wanted the shinobi executed, not merely outlawed. And they had just come out of a war, with their numbers decimated; Tsunade had seen no reason for anyone else to die.

That had been her reason to surrender, though she didn't get the chance to see how it turned out.

The law was passed, and those shinobi who refused to put down their weapons and swear fealty to the Daimyo instead the Kage were persecuted and dealt with as traitors. Some managed to go underground and Iruka knew they sold their services, as they had always done, as assassins or bodyguards.

He would have done the same, were it not for the kids.

The war had left several of his students and a few smaller children orphaned, and without the support from the Kage, they were bound to starve to death or end up worse. Iruka had taken them to his home and bent the knee in front of the Daimyo, offering is fealty and services.

Iruka, and a few others like him, were the only _approved_ shinobi left in Konoha. Leashed dogs who served the Daimyo and other members of the court as bodyguards.

It wasn't a perfect life, and Iruka didn't like what he was forced to do, but it put a roof over his head and food on his table, and being Gabu-sama's personal bodyguard and favourite allowed him to keep the kids under his terms.

He still hated the Daimyo with a passion, and the _night rounds_ made him sick to his stomach.

But he had to do what he had to do.

…

"Everything is clear, Gabu-sama," Iruka said formally entering the Daimyo's bedroom.

Gabu was sprawled on his bed, clad only in a loose yukata. He was a severe looking but attractive man, past his prime but with some good years still in him. He wore his hair long and didn't bother with powder or make-up like other courtiers did. Most of the courtiers and civilians admired and respected him, and some would give anything to be in Iruka's position.

Iruka was choked with loathing just entering his room.

"Good," he said, his voice commanding and cold. "Come here, Iruka."

Iruka obeyed, forcing his body to move even when all his instincts were screaming at him to run in the opposite direction. He stopped next to the bed and Gabu stood up and approached him.

"Is there anything else I need to investigate, Gabu-sama?" Iruka asked, knowing full well there was nothing. There never was.

Two heavy hands pushed him forward, making him stumble on the bed. Iruka caught his balance and landed on his hands and knees, shooting a dark look at the Daimyo, who just chuckled.

"No. Undress."

Iruka considered, like he did every time he was in the same position, the fastest and most efficient way to kill Gabu. He knew about fifty of them, and it would take less than a minute. Instead, Iruka got rid of his clothes, glaring at Gabu the entire time with all the hatred he felt clear in his eyes.

"Oh Iruka, as feisty as always," Gabu said, undoing the sash of his yukata and climbing on the bed. "You don't remind me anymore how easy it would be for you to kill me, but I can still see it in your eyes. As easy as it would be for me to take those little dogs away from you, and have that Hyuuga bitch executed for being a shinobi."

Iruka gritted his teeth when Gabu's hands fell on his bare skin, the touch sickening. He forced himself to relax, override all his instinct to attack and just endure. It would be over soon, he knew it. It wasn't about the sex, it was about control. Gabu liked to show Iruka who was in control, and this was his way to do it.

"I know you teach them forbidden things in that little shack you call home," Gabu continued, positioning himself and entering Iruka in one powerful thrust. He grunted disappointed when Iruka didn't respond or betray any pain, having prepared himself knowing tonight was going to be one of the _special night rounds._

Iruka let his mind wander while Gabu pushed in and out of him, talking all the time about what he could do to Iruka and his kids if he refused this or tried to kill him. Iruka planed the lessons he was going to teach the kids next week and made his grocery list for the next day. He was a shinobi, so physical pain and that kind of humiliation were nothing new to him. He wasn't used to such easy surrender, though.

He had made one thing clear on the first night he had allowed Gabu to take him, and he was grateful the other man had seen the seriousness of his threat. No kisses. Iruka would allow him to use his body, but if Gabu ever tried to get close to his mouth, he'd pay the transgression with his life and that was non-negotiable.

The last person to ever kiss him was long gone, rumoured killed when he tried to go underground. They had been nothing more than sex-friends during the war, thought it had been only because the circumstances hadn't allowed them to pursue a different kind of relationship. Had things been different, Iruka had no doubt they would have become a real couple.

But things had not been different, and he had chosen to die instead of changing his ways. He had been unable to be anything but what he was.

Iruka could not blame him, but he still had the memory of Kakashi's lips on his, and keeping it was worth as much to him as his life.

…

"Is this the target?"

A shadow detached itself from the darkness surrounding the Daimyo's house at the voice and nodded in silence, reluctantly tearing his eyes from the sickening scene he had been observing.

"Yes. Let's go back."

The two figures moved quickly, unseen by the guards patrolling the perimeter of the house and undetected by anyone in the village. They headed straight for the forest, jumping immediately to a tree and using the foliage to cover their movements.

They didn't speak at all during their trip back, finally landing in a clearing surrounded by old pine trees. One of the figures advanced to the other side of the clearing, standing between two identical trees and making quick seals with its hands.

A shape shimmered and formed where the trees had been, a small stone house which disappeared the moment the two of them crossed the door.

Once inside they removed their masks, revealing their faces to the few people inhabiting the small house.

"Neiji, Anko," they were greeted warmly the moment they took off their masks and uniforms. "How was the reconnaissance?"

Neiji turned to look at the one speaking, wondering how the hell he was going to explain everything he had seen. It had been enough to make him grit his teeth and wish he could rush inside the compound and kill the Daimyo then and there; it was impossible to guess what the other's reaction was going to be.

"The Daimyo's house is well protected, but most of the guards are mercenaries, not shinobi," he began his explanation, getting a scroll out of a pocket and spreading it on a table. Most of the people surrounded him, peering over his shoulder to see as much as they could. "The place is big and it consists in several small houses surrounding the main one. Here, here, and here." He pointed at different places on the map. "Are the servant's quarters, which are potentials points of entry. Also, here and here are the guards' rooms. I counted six guards on site, surrounding the house, and three more inside."

Neiji took a deep breath and noticed that everyone's attention was focused on him. "The Daimyo's rooms are here," he pointed at the south wing of the main house, "and his wife's rooms over here," he pointed at the north. "They don't spend time together, not that I can blame her, so we may be able to avoid involving the wife and kids."

"Not that he was kind enough to do the same for us," someone said at the back, his voice full of hatred. Neiji nodded, remembering, but didn't say anything else.

"He also has shinobi guards inside," Neiji said, approaching the point he really wanted to avoid. "Three of them. One usually stationed in his room."

"In his room or in his bed?" Anko said snidely. She was the one who resented those who stayed the most, having been betrayed by one she had considered her friend before and managing to avoid execution only thanks to Raidou's intervention. Raidou had paid for it with his life, and Anko had been unable to forgive the Daimyo or anyone who cooperated with him.

"Does it matter?" Neiji said.

"What is this?"

Neiji turned to the voice asking and knew there was going to be no avoiding the question; he had just hoped to be able to breach the subject without an audience. Kakashi was staring at him intently, pointing at a small space on the map marked with an interrogation.

"That's a small house adjacent to the compound. It's close to the fence and poorly guarded," Neiji recited the facts. He had known since the beginning that was going to be the chosen point of entry.

"Why is it poorly guarded when the rest of the compound is completely covered? Who lives there?" Kakashi asked.

"That's the house of one of the shinobi guards; he lives there with his family."

"Then that's where we're going to infiltrate from. If the guard's home, we can dispose of him before he raises the he's in the compound, the house will be unprotected." Kakashi's lips curled in a smile clearly visible under his mask, and it was an unpleasant one. "This guard is probably the one in Gabu's bedroom, am I right? That's the reason he's allowed his own place. He's someone we know, isn't he?"

And that was it, out in the open.

Life since the outlawing of shinobi had not been easy for any of them, though they survived and hoped for things to change once again. The change would be impossible with the Daimyo in power, that was the reason Kakashi had accepted that suicide mission so quickly. All of them had lost someone during the war and the persecution that followed, and all of them had another thing in common: they despised those who submitted because they had chosen the easy way.

After what he had seen, Neiji wasn't sure that was right. At least Iruka had not seemed to be having an easy time of it.

"Yes. That's not all; the house is full of children, shinobi like us. My cousin Hanabi lives there."

Kakashi's eye narrowed on Neiji. "Who else lives there?" He asked, enunciating the words clearly.

"Sensei," Neiji said, staring at Kakashi and watching the play of emotions in his normally cold eye. There was shock, and anger and pain, and most of it there was hatred.

"Gai died during the war," Anko said, sounding confused.

"Neiji doesn't mean Gai," Kakashi said, turning around and pushing past the rest of the people, heading to the door. "He means Iruka."

…

Kakashi sat on top of a branch and stared at the sky, not really seeing the stars or the few clouds in it. His mind was going over the same thing again and again.

Iruka.

He had always believed Iruka was either dead or had joined another of the underground groups of shinobi trying to overthrow the five Daimyos who had outlawed them. He had not imagined Iruka could be a turncoat, much less to become the Daimyo's plaything just to keep his position.

It didn't make sense, not with the Iruka he had known during the war.

But what Neiji had told them was probably the truth. Iruka was there, alive, and working for Gabu. And he held his own special position within the household, a position he probably paid for on his hands and knees.

Kakashi shook his head to dislodge that thought. No. Iruka would not, could not, be like that. There must be something he was missing. Some detail he was too furious and hurt to see from the proper angle.

He needed to calm down; that was the reason he was outside, sitting on his own. Emotions clouded his senses, especially since the death of Tsunade and the scattering of the remaining shinobi.

And the loss of Iruka, let's not forget that one.

They had been together during the war, though by unspoken agreement they kept an open relationship just for sex and a few friendly chats. They had never spoken of feelings, knowing they had not the luxury to dwell on them at the time. But Kakashi had been perfectly clear on his, and Iruka made no secret they were reciprocated.

But it had all stayed as a friendly, open relationship until the end of the war. When everything had gone to pieces.

Kakashi had not been there at the time, or he would have never allowed Tsunade to sign the treaty giving control of her shinobi to the Daimyo. He had only learned of it on his way back, and had managed to escape the ambush waiting for him and his companions by sheer luck. He knew some of his old colleagues had chosen the path of less resistance and gone to the Daimyo, surrendering their weapons and taking up positions in the new, demilitarized Konoha.

But Iruka-Kakashi didn't know what he was feeling. Iruka was never the type to surrender without a fight, so Kakashi had assumed he was dead or in hiding.

Not bending over for Gabu.

One thing was clear, if Iruka was working for the Daimyo now he was an enemy. And he was going to be disposed of as one.

"Kakashi!" Neiji's voice reached him from below, and he looked down to see him standing at the base of the tree. "We need to talk."

Kakashi made a gesture, and the next second Neiji was sitting on the next branch, staring at him. The silence settled between the two of them, Neiji doing nothing but look at Kakashi with his pale, strange eyes.

"Hanabi, eh?" Kakashi finally said breaking the silence.

Neiji nodded. "Yes, it was a shock seeing her there. I always thought she was dead; there were no survivors in the Hyuuga compound. She must have been out when they came for us." The pain in his voice was unmistakable; the Hyuuga had been the first clan to reject any allegiance to the Daimyo, and the brutality they had been subjected to had been used as a deterrent for other clans. Neiji had escaped, though not unscathed. His wife had not been so fortunate. "She's the spitting image of Hinata."

Kakashi had nothing to say to that, he knew what Neiji was going through, and so did everyone else in the cabin. There was nothing words could express for what had been done to them, so he remained silent.

"Look," Neiji said after a while, his voice perfectly composed. "About Iruka-"

Kakashi tensed. "If he's an enemy he will be dealt with as one, you don't have to worry about me," he said, keeping his voice level and cold. It was one thing to understand what Neiji felt, but he had no intention to share his feelings.

"He's not an enemy, that's what I'm trying to say," Neiji said, ignoring the warning in Kakashi's tone.

"You saw him in Gabu's room, did you not see him in his bed as well? Because what I understood in there is that you did." And that was the main issue there, because Kakashi could understand and forgive if Iruka had stayed in Konoha if he had children to care for. And it seemed he did. Iruka was resourceful; he would have found the way to survive even as a civilian.

"I did, but that's not all I saw," Neiji insisted.

"Spare me the sordid details," Kakashi said standing up, not wanting to hear more.

"I don't believe it was consensual." Kakashi froze at those words, the blood turning to ice in his veins. "I didn't want to say anything inside because I know Anko, and we would have to restrain her if she knew."

He turned slowly, his voice sounding dangerous even to his own ears. "Explain."

"Gabu is holding the kids's safety and freedom over Iruka. Some of them are too young to survive like us, and Iruka seems to be teaching them. I saw Gabu saying what he would do to my cousin and the kids if Iruka resisted or tried to kill him, and it wasn't pretty."

Kakashi closed his eye, Iruka's face appearing in the back of his lids as he had been the last time he saw him, his face flushed in pleasure as he arched up, clinging to Kakashi. He held on to the image, trying to reconcile it with everything he had learned today.

The last piece of the puzzle slotted into place.

Yes, the Iruka he had known would never surrender without a fight. Unless he was forced to.

"I was going to kill the Daimyo for a number of reasons," Kakashi said, opening his eye and letting the memories dissolve. "Now, I'm going to _enjoy it_."

…

True to her word, Hanabi was still awake when Iruka returned home. It was so late it was already early in the morning, but he had had no doubt she wasn't going to let it stop her from giving Iruka a piece of her mind.

He stuck his head in her bedroom and when she looked up from her book, signalled for her to join him outside.

Dawn was creeping over the sky, turning it orange and purple and beautiful. Iruka climbed the tree closest to the house, sitting in one of the branches to look at the dawn. Hanabi sat next to him a few seconds later.

"You're late today," she said, her voice soft and low.

There was no chance of any of the children hearing them and waking up, but Iruka was also loath to disturb the perfect silence. His voice matching hers, he replied. "I know." Gabu had not been pleased to find Iruka had prepared for him and he had been overly enthusiastic, taking him several times. Iruka was sure he was going to be feeling it for a couple of days, but it was worth it just for having denied Gabu the pleasure of hurting him too much.

"We could leave, Iruka," Hanabi said after a while, leaning closer to him and resting her head on his shoulder. "If we hide, they won't be able to find us. And I can work; I was already a chuunin and getting ready for jounin before the war."

He took her hand between his, comforting her and drawing a measure of peace just from the touch.

"Yue is barely six, and Yamato seven. They would never survive out there, not yet." It wasn't that Iruka didn't want to leave, he wanted it more than anything in his life, except for maybe killing Gabu. But he couldn't. He had a responsibility with the children, and he wasn't going to jeopardize their lives just to spare him a few unpleasant nights. "And we can't leave them here."

"Of course not," Hanabi said immediate, offended at the mere suggestion. "Then let me take your place until we can leave."

He had known she was going to say that. "That's out of the question, Hanabi."

"I'm a kunoichi, I know how to deal with it too," she insisted, stubborn as only a spoiled brat could be.

"You're fourteen," Iruka said softly, looking out at the raising sun. "That's no place for you."

Hanabi bristled and tried to pull her hand out of his grip. "I'm not a child."

Iruka smiled at that. "I know, but you're young and beautiful. And I don't want your first experience to be with that brute." He leaned his head until it was resting on top of Hanabi's. "I've had my share of lovers and partners, and enjoyed sex for what it is. _This is not going to break me_, Gabu doesn't posses the ability to hurt me. Not with this."

"Iruka," she said, her voice choked with emotion.

"Listen to me, Hanabi," he said seriously, "This is just a game, for both me and Gabu. He thinks he can win, but he can't."

"A game?" Hanabi sounded confused now, her hand gripping his tightly.

"Yes. He knows what I am, what we are. And he knows his hold over me won't last forever. It's a race to see if he can break me before I kill him. It was my kunai at his throat after Tsunade-sama's death, and had he not already had Yue and Yamato with him, we both know he'd be dead and I'd be too... or in hiding. But I couldn't leave the kids, and then I got you and Hayame and Reika."

"I don't understand. You could kill him and get us out of Konoha before anyone knew."

Iruka chuckled, flattered she thought so much of his skills. "I'm not that powerful. Had this been Kakashi, I don't doubt you'd be right. If we flee while he's alive, he'll hunt us down and the little ones won't survive. If I kill him while you are still here the guards will get to you before we escape. If I send you out, he'll know what I plan and chase after you."

Hanabi stayed in silence for a while. "But why does he let you live, then? It makes no sense."

"I was well respected by the civilians, and when I swore fealty to him I disarmed any arguments he might have had for my execution. He can't justify killing one loyal to him. And I think I amuse him," he said with a wry smile.

"I just hate to know what he does to you."

"Don't you worry about me, Hanabi. I will win this game. We just need to wait some more until the little ones grow up a bit or one of the illegal shinobi groups decides Gabu has lived long enough."

She moved away from him, her pale eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "I just wish I was as strong as you are," she said, depositing a soft kiss on his cheek and climbing down the tree.

"You are," he said to no one in particular, watching the first rays of the sun illuminating the forest surrounding Konoha and wondering if he really was strong.

It didn't feel like that while Gabu fucked him.

He finally moved after a few minutes, his mouth opening in a gigantic yawn as he turned back into the house, hoping to get at least a couple hours sleep.

He didn't see the shadow standing on a tree outside the compound vanish a few seconds after he went inside.

…

"There's been a change of plans," Kakashi said entering the cabin and slamming the door close behind him, the rest of the inhabitants of the little house waking up at the noise.

He had been unable to go to sleep after his conversation with Neiji, too many thoughts crowding his head. And all of them revolved around Iruka and what he had learned.

It had not been a conscious decision to go to the Daimyo's house, but he had realized his destination the moment he realized where his feet had taken him. Kakashi skirted the boundaries of the compound, heading straight to the place where Neiji had marked Iruka's house, and climbed on top of a tree to watch.

As a point of entry, it was perfect. The fence was close and the guards rarely patrolled the area. In the time he had been there only one of the guards had approached the house, and he had not even gone inside.

Everything was quiet in the dark, only a small light illuminating one of the windows in the small house. Kakashi was ready to leave when he espied movement. He had thought it might be a guard; the last one had been there more than an hour ago.

It wasn't. The one quietly approaching was Iruka, shrouded in darkness and moving as if he was in some sort of discomfort.

Kakashi felt a rush of emotion at seeing him, and he had to force himself to stand still and not enter the compound. It was too early to make their move, and he wasn't convinced that Iruka would not attack him just by force of habit.

The door to the house opened and some light spilled outside, illuminating Iruka's features for a second. He looked as if he had aged ten years since the last time Kakashi had seen him, deep lines of sorrow creasing his forehead where the hitai-ate used to be, his lips turned down at the corners.

A minute later Iruka came out of the house again, climbing a tree and sitting on one of the branches. He was close enough that Kakashi could see his face perfectly from where he was standing, and when Hanabi joined Kakashi strained to hear what they were saying.

He wished he hadn't.

Listening about the reality of the situation didn't ease his mind in the slightest. He had never wanted to hurt another human being as much as he wanted the Daimyo to pay for what he was doing now.

But that would have to wait; first they needed to get those children to safety.

He rushed back to the cabin, the seed of a plan already growing in his mind.

…

Iruka woke up slowly, emerging from a dream that was too much of a memory, images of a happier time dissolving under the weight of reality.

It was later than he usually woke up, but it was his day off and for once he had the luxury of sleeping in. After the night he had, he deserved it. Feeling every one of his years Iruka got out of bed in the oddly silent house.

There was a note from Hanabi on the kitchen counter, a list of the things they had run out and a small reminder that she had taken the kids to school and was going to work. She wouldn't be back until afternoon, helping at Ichiraku's during the lunch rush hour.

She had wanted to take on a different kind of job, but Iruka had managed to convince her to accept Ichiraku's offer. She would be protected there; it was one of the friendly places still left in Konoha.

He took a long shower, scrubbing his body thoroughly to erase any traces remaining of Gabu's touch, he had been way too tired to do it before collapsing on top of the bed, and now he imagined he could still feel the bastard's hands on his skin and his smell clinging to him. He didn't move from under the scalding water until his skin was pink and slightly raw, but feeling more like himself already.

A big mug of coffee and half an hour later, Iruka was in the market. The place had changed but little since the old times, still teeming with people conducting their daily business. The only difference was that no uniforms and hitai-ates were in sight.

He went straight to the butcher's stall; the old man who had been there since forever and still treated Iruka with the same courtesy and respect. They chatted for a few minutes about the weather and some gossip, like they had always done, and Iruka dredged up a smile for the man.

Everything felt so normal it was painful, reminding him of what it wasn't anymore. He had not lost all hope of things changing again. The war had been over for some years, and among the civilians the fear and distrust of shinobi had mostly vanished. Life went on, wounds healed or scabbed over, and people just carried on as they had always done.

The fruit stall was the next, and there he also chatted with the owner, a petite old lady whose grandchildren had been Iruka's students in another life. She was also the biggest gossip in Konoha, and Iruka's source of news about the underground movements. She was closely monitored by Gabu's agents, but since she was a civilian no move had ever been made against her.

"Here you go, Iruka-san," she smiled at him passing the grocery bag with his purchases. Her hand touched his and Iruka felt a tiny spark against his skin. He betrayed no surprise, but looked up at her with a big smile on his face. "And the things you ordered yesterday for tonight's special dinner. It's Reika's birthday, isn't it? How old is she, six?"

It was Yoshida-baa-san talking to him, her lined face exactly the same and her voice perfect pitch. But it wasn't her eyes looking at him, for a second he could see two young and sharp eyes looking completely out of place in that wizened face, and his first thought was that if one of his students had performed such a bad henge in class, he would have flayed them alive. Then the illusion was gone, as if it had been a trick of his mind, and her words registered.

"No, Yue is six," he said, his voice perfectly normal in spite of the turmoil of his emotions. He had recognized the eyes staring at him from Yoshida-baa-san's face and couldn't help the surge of hope inside of him. If Anko was there, it meant one of the underground groups was going to act. "Reika is nine. I hope she likes her surprise."

The old woman laughed. "She will, she's a little woman now, but I'm sure she still likes surprises. I know I do."

"So do I," Iruka replied, bowing low and picking up the rest of his bags.

He went back home with a lighter heart than he had felt in the past few years. The wait was over, they had made contact.

And if he had read the message correctly, he was going to have guests in the night. Six of them, at nine.

…

The wait was the worst part, and it had always been for Kakashi.

They kept their positions around the Daimyo's compound, waiting for Neiji's signal. Iruka had given them the time for the attack, and with the addition of him and Hanabi to their numbers it was going to be a simple mission.

The house was mostly guarded by mercenaries who, though strong and probably ruthless, were nowhere near the skill levels of jounin. There were only three shinobi guards, and with one already on their side they would need to disable only two of them. Kakashi had no idea who they might be or if they had been friends of them at some point, and he didn't care. He had been willing to kill Iruka when he believed him to be an enemy; he wasn't going to spare whoever the other two might be.

He had been waiting for this chance for a long time, they all had.

The Daimyo's treachery had come at the point in which the shinobi were weaker, having just emerged from a brutal war, disillusioned, decimated and with no strength to begin the fighting anew. Tsunade and the remaining Kages had been blind to the Daimyo's plot, believing they were preserving the lives of their shinobi. Kakashi was certain it would have never happened had they not been so close to extermination.

And had they still had the power of the jinchuriki on their side.

Naruto, as well as Killer-Bee and Gaara, had been reported dead in the destruction of Suna. Kakashi wasn't so certain of that, and some of the rumours he had been hearing lately gave him hope that at least Naruto and Gaara were still alive, maybe less insanely powerful than before, but alive and getting ready to reclaim their proper place in the world.

It had been those rumours which had spurned his group, and other like his, into movement after two long years of biding their time. Kakashi had wanted Gabu dead since the moment he learned about Tsunade's murder, but had been unwilling to risk his team for the satisfaction of revenge.

Now he had a reason the chance and the timing couldn't be more perfect.

"Something's happening." Neiji's appearance by his side took Kakashi out of his thoughts. He checked the time, it was barely past eight. It was too soon. "Iruka's been called to the main house with Hanabi, and the children had been left with two guards."

Kakashi frowned, considering. "They must know we're coming."

They had known it was risky approaching Yoshida-san, she was one of the civilians allies they had inside Konoha and in a position to pass the message to Iruka. They had suspected she was being monitored, and had been careful, but they needed to warn Iruka of their move to ensure his cooperation and the safety of the kids.

Either Iruka had betrayed them, something Kakashi didn't believe possible in light of the circumstances, or Yoshida-san had been monitored closer than they realized.

"We move in now," Kakashi said after a second., "Neiji will take the main group to Iruka's house and retrieve the children. That's our priority now, ensure their safety and take them to the cabin. Make sure you're not being followed. Anko and Ebisu will come with me to the main house and complete the mission."

They nodded once and moved as a man.

The wait was over.

…

Iruka squeezed Hanabi's hand encouragingly before they entered Gabu's room.

It had been a long day, and he had been feeling the tension coiling inside of him acutely, part of his mind telling him it had been too easy for Anko to make contact in broad daylight. The elation he had experienced in the morning, knowing someone was coming, had vanished by midday, his mind going over every single thing that might go wrong.

He had not been surprised when one of the guards knocked on his door and told him that his and Hanabi's presence was required in the main house. Iruka had just nodded and signalled to Hanabi to join him by the door, telling the kids to behave while they went out to run some errands.

"You called for us, Gabu-sama," Iruka said with a slight bow, entering the room and closing the door behind him.

Inside the room were five guards who weren't supposed to be on duty, adding to the ones patrolling and staying at Iruka's;, it almost doubled the amount of protection Gabu usually had.

Reichirou and Kentaro were also there, the two shinobi who had sworn their allegiance to the Daimyo. Iruka didn't like them much, knowing they had offered their services without being forced even before Tsunade's body was cold.

"I did." Gabu made a signal and two of the guards approached Hanabi, who tensed and looked like she was going to fight them. Iruka shook his head and she clenched her fist, allowing them to take her away from Iruka. "Come here, Iruka."

He wondered for a second if there was something he could do in those circumstances. Hanabi was strong, almost stronger than he was, but she was young and not cunning enough in that kind of situation. And Iruka knew he made up what he lacked in strength with trickery and practical experience. But they were severely outnumbered, and with Hanabi there he couldn't risk being defeated.

And the help wouldn't be coming for another hour.

Gabu had played his hand masterfully this time. Iruka took a step forward, approaching him.

"I knew you were just waiting for the right time to betray me, Iruka," Gabu said, pulling down his mask and holding his jaw. Iruka knew how strong the Daimyo was, and he schooled his features not to show any pain.

"I've never been loyal to you," Iruka replied, narrowing his eyes at Gabu. He needed to stall, give time to Anko's group to realize what had happened and act.

The grip on his jaw tightened. "You swore fealty to me," Gabu said, his voice cold and furious.

"Yes, and you promised Tsunade-sama no harm would come to her shinobi and look where we are. I don't need to keep my word with a liar." Gabu pushed him angrily away and Iruka stumbled back, regaining his balance just in time to see the blow coming. He forced himself not to move and just take it, Hanabi's outraged shout ringing in his ears. "You and the other Daimyos couldn't stand sharing the power with the Kages, could you? And Tsunade-sama was stubborn, strong and independent. She didn't listen to the council of elders like her predecessors had done. The Ninja War was a blessing in disguise for you, it allowed you to manipulate the people and trick Tsunade-sama."

Gabu glared at him for an instant and then he laughed. "Yes, she was getting too arrogant for her own good, but she was strong and had all her trained monkeys behind her. And that monster, of course."

Iruka felt a stab of pain and the burning desire to wring Gabu's neck at those words. "Yes, Naruto," he finally said, glad that his voice didn't waver. "You were so quick in making your move when you heard of disappearance with the rest of Suna. I imagine you couldn't believe your luck."

"You're right, and then there was that final obstacle. I made sure he never came back to Konoha in one piece."

"Kakashi, the one we would have followed as our new Hokage."

"Yes. He had to die as well." Gabu's voice was incredibly smug and Iruka felt like killing him slowly just for it. He didn't like the feeling; he wasn't a cruel man by nature and only took the lives when he needed to, never deriving any satisfaction from it. Gabu... he would enjoy it.

Iruka had suspected most of it for a long time, but hearing it confirmed in that fashion was too much to bear. "You know I'm going to kill you."

Gabu laughed. "You can try, but make a move right now and your little bitch over there will be dead before you can get your hands on a weapon. And even if you could kill all of us, do you think you can reach your house before my men kill your kids?" Gabu approached Iruka again and it took all his willpower to stand still, not to flinch or move or attack. He just needed to wait a bit more, make the bastard talk and gloat some more and give Anko the time she needed. "There is something you have always denied me, and now I'm going to have it before I kill you."

Iruka looked defiantly at Gabu's face as it approached, and he knew what the other intended to take. All his instincts screaming at him to move, Iruka clenched his fists and held his ground.

"Who was it you were so insistent to save your kisses for?" Gabu said, his breath hot over Iruka's face.

Iruka smiled coldly. "Kakashi."

A laugh. "Pity he won't be enjoying them, then. Not that he could."

His mouth over Iruka felt disgusting, but he forced himself to stand still and think of something else, his gaze shifting around to see if there was any kind of signal. All the eyes in the room were intent on them, expecting some kind of move from Iruka.

Iruka was the only one, therefore, who saw the approaching shadows; his mouth curling in a smile, Iruka put his hands on Gabu's chest and pushed him away.

"Hanabi! Move!" he screamed, ducking low at the same time to avoid a kunai thrown in his direction.

The room erupted into movement in an instant, the shadows revealing themselves to be three masked shinobi. The rest, Iruka imagined, had gone to he house to get the kids. The guards were not shinobi, but they made up what they lacked in skill with brute force and numbers. Hanabi was having a hard time dealing with two of them at the same time, even with her Byakugan activated and her incredible taijutsu. One of the new arrivals detached itself from the group and went to her and Iruka diverted his attention from them, intent in his fight now he knew she was going to be fine.

Gabu was moving back, trying to escape from the room in the confusion, the other two shinobi fighting his guards. Iruka headed for him; he wasn't going to let the bastard run away. And he had promised to kill him.

Kentarou and Reichirou blocked his way, Iruka had not been allowed to take any weapons with him into the house, but that didn't mean he was harmless. He blocked the attack from Kentarou with just taijutsu and made the hand seals for a fire jutsu, sending it straight to Reichirou as he dodged another kunai. He didn't have the time to avoid a few shuriken coming in the other direction, stumbling when they impacted and embedded themselves on his back. With a curse, Iruka dropped to the ground, panting from the pain.

"Iruka!" Anko's voice reached him from the other side of the room, and then as if she had teleported herself, she was there, engaging Kentarou and Reichirou in a furious fight.

Iruka got back up, rushing after Gabu now his path was clear. At his back he heard the crackle of electricity and the sounds of the fight receding in the distance as he ran, Gabu's destination clear once they were out of the main house.

Iruka's house was surrounded by flame and he felt a moment's panic. thinking the kids were still inside.

Then Gabu stopped cold and Iruka looked past him. In the middle of the path were three shinobi, one of them staring at Gabu with huge, white eyes. A Hyuuga. The kids were with them and Iruka could see the corpses of the guards strewn around the house.

"You lose, Gabu," he said, and the other man turned around to stare at him with loathing and disgust clear on his face.

"Are you going to kill me now?" he said, his voice cold and furious. "This is the reason all of you should die, you only bring death and destruction. I should have killed you when I had the chance."

"Yes, you should have," Iruka said, signalling to the Hyuuga for a weapon and grabbing it mid-air when it was thrown to him. Iruka approached him, the metal glinting with the fire and the moonlight, and moved in for the kill.

His hand was stopped before reaching the target, though, and he turned furiously to fight whoever it was. Iruka stared as one of the shinobi removed his porcelain mask, his heart pounding against his ribcage when he recognized him.

"Kakashi," Iruka breathed out, his voice thick with wonder.

"Don't dirty your hands with the likes of him, Iruka," Kakashi said, looking intently at Iruka and then turning to Gabu. "I came to kill you, but I won't. We won't. Not now."

Iruka narrowed his eyes at those words. "What?"

Kakashi ignored Iruka's outburst, his attention completely focused on Gabu. "We're going to do something worse. We're going to come back to Konoha and regain our proper place. You didn't manage to kill all of us, and all over the world the shinobi are regrouping and organizing our return. We've been busy these past two years and we have all the evidence we need to dispose of you and the other Daimyos."

"You!" Gabu's face was contorted in hatred as he looked from Kakashi to Iruka.

"You will lose your position," Kakashi continued calmly. "And you will live in fear of what I come up with as the punishment that you deserve. Let's go, Iruka."

With one last look at Gabu, Iruka turned around to follow Kakashi. He still wanted to kill the man, and that was the reason he wasn't going to do it. He'd enjoy it far too much for his peace of mind.

There was a scream of pure rage behind them and Iruka looked back to see Gabu grab the sword of one of his fallen guards and launch himself to them. Before he could react, though, Kakashi had turned and delivered a quick combination of brutal strikes. Gabu crumbled to the ground, moaning in pain.

"I said I wasn't going to kill you," Kakashi said coldly, "but I could inflict a lot of pain on you before any reinforcements come. Don't tempt me."

Gabu glared at them from the ground before letting the sword fall from his hands and closing his eyes.

"You're going to regret this," Gabu said as a parting shot.

"Not as much as you will," Kakashi replied calmly turning his back to him. "Let's get out of here, Iruka."

…

Iruka watched the kids sleeping for a moment in the peace of the cabin. It was crowded now they had joined them, but there was a feeling of happiness he had never believed they would experience again.

Hanabi had stared at her cousin, her eyes filled with tears she stubbornly refused to let fall, and was now laying on a bed next to him, both of them whispering in the night and talking about their family.

Anko had hugged him the moment they were out of the compound, telling him everything that had happened since the last time they saw each other. The rest of the group moved in silence, carrying the kids to the relative safety of their new home.

Kakashi had not said another word since they left the Daimyo's compound, leading the group back to the cabin in complete silence and going outside the moment everyone was settled and all injuries had been tended to.

Iruka sighed and brushed Yue's hair out of her forehead tenderly before turning around and leaving the cabin as well.

He had to talk to Kakashi.

…

The moon was beautiful outside and Kakashi sat staring at it from the same branch as two days before.

He could still feel the fury and desire to kill inside of him, and he needed to calm down. He knew that if he spoke to Iruka right now, he would ignore everything he had said and go straight to Gabu's house and kill him.

Maybe letting him live had not been the wisest move.

"Kakashi!"

He looked down to see Iruka standing under the tree, his face tilted up to stare.

"I'm coming up!"

The next moment Iruka was by his side, sitting on the branch so close that Kakashi could feel the heat emanating from his body.

They stayed in silence for a while, too many things to say to each other to know where to begin. Finally, it was Iruka the one to break the silence.

"I thought you were dead," he said quietly, his eyes fixed on the moon. "All this time I believed you were dead."

Kakashi nodded. "Yeah, I thought you were dead too, or with another group. I hoped it to be the latter, but I knew I'd have heard from you were that the case. I never imagined you were still in Konoha."

They relapsed into silence, both of them staring straight ahead.

"Take off your mask, Kakashi, I want to see you."

Kakashi did, turning to Iruka and looking at him. Iruka's hand reached out and touched his face gently, moving over his features as if trying to memorize them.

"It wouldn't have made any difference had we known, am I right?" Iruka said, his voice filled with sadness.

"No. You had your kids to protect and I had my men. It would have made things harder for both of us, waiting for the right timing to act."

And that was the truth, Kakashi was aware of that. He was grateful he had been spared the knowledge of Iruka's situation before he had the chance to act to change it.

"Why now?" Iruka asked, still staring at Kakashi's face.

"Word got around that Naruto and Gaara are alive. Suna is no more, but he's still the Kazekage and the Suna shinobi who survived are regrouping under his lead. The scattered Konoha shinobi have also begun to regroup."

"Naruto is alive?" Iruka asked, breathless with wonder.

"Yes."

"What are we going to do with the kids, if we're getting ready to fight again?"

Kakashi had thought about that before, when they had learned the reason for Iruka's stay. "We're going to send them to a friend in Wave Country, where they can live until we regain our standing in Konoha."

Iruka smiled and turned to stare at the moon again, Kakashi felt bereft of the warmth of his gaze immediately.

"Why did you let Gabu live?" Iruka asked after a while, his voice cold and low.

"We're soldiers, not killers."

Iruka turned to look at him again, his brow furrowed in a scowl. "He deserved to die."

Kakashi knew that, and he had wanted to be the one to tear him limb from limb. "I've never wanted to kill anyone as much as I wanted to kill Gabu," Kakashi finally confessed. "I wanted to cause him pain, make it slow and look at his face as he died. And I would have, except I saw your face when you were going to do it and it was like looking into a mirror. I couldn't let you. If we'd killed him out of hatred, then we would be no different from him. He's no threat now; he'll get what he deserves. Soon."

Iruka's face smothered, a tiny smile curling the corner of his lips. "You're right. I would have enjoyed killing him."

"And then you would have regretted it."

Iruka nodded.

"I have a favour to ask you, Kakashi." Iruka said when the silence between them stretched again.

"Yes?" Kakashi looked intently at him and frowned. Iruka was blushing.

"I managed to avoid Gabu's mouth for two years, until tonight," Iruka said, his voice soft. "I want you to kiss me so you can erase that disgusting taste from my mouth, I-"

Kakashi didn't allow him to finish the sentence, his mouth descending over Iruka's and claiming his lips with the desperation of two years' separation and everything that had happened to them. They kissed on top of the branch for what it felt like an eternity, getting familiar again with the taste and feel of the other, happy to do nothing but share breath and press their bodies together.

They were still kissing when the dawn came, the earlier desperation turned into a kind of comfort, their hands twined together between their bodies.

"We have to go back inside," Iruka said finally breaking the spell, "everyone is going to wake up soon and we have much to prepare for."

Kakashi nodded, stealing one last kiss before jumping down from the tree. "You're right. We have a lot of work to do."

Iruka joined him on the ground. "But don't forget, you still owe me a date when we are back in Konoha." Iruka kissed him and pulled Kakashi's mask back up.

"I think I'll take you and Naruto to Ichiraku's to celebrate," Kakashi said with a smile, opening the door to the cabin.

"I'll look forward to it."

…


End file.
